Difference between revisions of "Art Deco" - New World Encyclopedia

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[[Image:Chrysler building- top.jpg|thumb|The Art Deco [[spire]] of the [[Chrysler Building]] in New York, built 1928–1930]]
 
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[[Image:Buffalo City Hall - 001.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Buffalo City Hall|City Hall]] of [[Buffalo, New York]], an Art Deco [[building]]]]
 
  
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'''Art Deco''' was a popular international design movement from 1920 until 1939, affecting the decorative arts such as [[architecture]], [[interior design]], and [[industrial design]], as well as the [[visual arts]] such as [[fashion]], [[painting]], the [[graphic arts]], and [[film]]. This movement was, in a sense, an amalgam of many different styles and movements of the early 20th century, including [[Constructivism (art)|Constructivism]], [[Cubism]], [[Modernism]], [[Bauhaus]], [[Art Nouveau]], and [[Futurism (art)|Futurism]]. Its popularity peaked during the [[Roaring Twenties]]. Although many design movements have political or philosophical roots or intentions, Art Deco was purely decorative. At the time, this style was seen as elegant, functional, and ultra modern.
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[[Image:Chrysler building- top.jpg|thumb|300px|The art-deco [[spire]] of the [[Chrysler Building]] in New York, built 1928–1930.]]
  
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== History ==
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'''Art Deco''' was a popular international design movement from 1925 until 1939, affecting the decorative arts such as [[architecture]], [[interior design]], and [[industrial design]], as well as the [[visual arts]] including [[fashion]], [[painting]], the [[graphic arts]], and [[film]]. This movement was an amalgam of many different styles and movements of the early twentieth century, including [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]], [[Constructivism (art)|Constructivism]], [[Cubism]], [[Modernism]], [[Bauhaus]], [[Art Nouveau]], and [[Futurism]].
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After the [[Exposition Universelle (1900)|Universal Exposition of 1900]], various French artists formed a formal collective. This was known as ''La Société des artistes décorateurs'' (the society of the decorator artists). Founders included [[Hector Guimard]], [[Eugène Grasset]], Raoul Lachenal, Paul Follot, Maurice Dufrene, and Emile Decour. These artists heavily influenced the principles of Art Deco as a whole. This society's purpose was to demonstrate French decorative art's leading position and evolution internationally. Naturally, they organized the 1925 ''[[Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes]]'' (International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Art), which would feature French art and business interests.  Russian artist [[Vadim Meller]] was awarded there a gold medal for his [[scenic design]].  
 
  
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The initial movement was called Style Moderne. The term ''Art Deco'' was derived from the [[Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes|Exposition of 1925]], though it wasn't until the late 1960s that this term was coined by art historian [[Bevis Hillier]], and popularized by his 1968 book ''Art Deco of the 20s and 30s''.  In the summer of 1969, Hillier conceived organizing an exhibition called Art Deco at the [[Minneapolis Institute of Arts]], which took place from July to September 1971. After this, interest in Art Deco peaked with the publication of Hillier's 1971 book ''The World of Art Deco'', a record of the exhibition.<ref name="hillier">Bevis Hillier. ''The World of Art Deco''. (New York: Dutton, 1971, ISBN 0525473106</ref>
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Art Deco experienced a decline in popularity during the late 1930s and early 1940s, and soon fell out of public favor. The time frame was roughly from the World's Fair in Paris in 1925 to the [[World's Fair]] in New York in 1939. Afterward, Art Deco experienced a resurgence with the advent of [[graphic design]] in the 1980s. Surviving examples may still be seen in many different locations worldwide, in countries as diverse as the [[United Kingdom]], [[Cuba]], the [[Phillipines]], and [[Brazil]]. Many classic examples still exist in the form of architecture in many major cities. The Chrysler building, designed by [[William Van Alen]], is a classic example of this, as it is one of the most notable examples of Art Deco architecture today. Other prominent examples include the [[Empire State Building]] and the [[New Yorker Hotel]] in [[New York City]].
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== Sources and attributes ==
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While most of the modern art movements were grounded in ideology, Art Deco was a celebration of modern life and style, seeking elegance over philosophical content.
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It was widely considered to be an eclectic form of elegant and stylish modernism, being influenced by a variety of sources. Among them were the, so called, "primitive" arts of [[Africa]], [[Ancient Egypt]], and [[Aztec]] [[Mexico]], as well as [[Machine Age]] or [[streamliner|streamline]] technology such as modern [[aviation]], electric [[lighting]], the [[radio]], the [[ocean liner]] and the [[skyscraper]]. These design influences were expressed in fractionated, crystalline, faceted forms of decorative [[Cubism]] and [[Futurism (art)|Futurism]], in [[Fauvism]]'s palette. Other popular themes in art deco were trapezoidal, zigzagged, geometric, and jumbled shapes, which can be seen in many early pieces.  Two brilliant examples of these themes and styles are in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]: the [[Fisher Building]] and the [[Guardian Building]].<ref>Rebecca Binno Savage, and Greg Kowalski. ''Art deco in Detroit''. (Charleston, SC: Arcadia, ,2004, ISBN 0738532282)</ref>
 
  
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Corresponding to these influences, Art Deco is characterized by use of materials such as [[aluminium]], [[stainless steel]], lacquer, inlaid wood, sharkskin ([[shagreen]]), and zebraskin. The bold use of stepped forms and sweeping curves (unlike the sinuous, natural curves of the [[Art Nouveau]]), [[Chevron (insigne)|chevron]] patterns, and the [[sunburst]] motif are typical of Art Deco. Some of these motifs were ubiquitous—for example, sunburst motifs were used in such varied contexts as ladies' shoes, radiator grilles, the auditorium of the [[Radio City Music Hall]], and the spire of the [[Chrysler Building]].
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==History==
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[[Image:Buffalo City Hall - 001.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Buffalo City Hall|City Hall]] of [[Buffalo, New York]], an art-deco [[building]].]]
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Art Deco was an opulent style, and its lavishness is attributed to reaction to the forced austerity imposed by [[World War I]]. Its rich, festive character fitted it for "modern" contexts, including the [[Golden Gate Bridge]], interiors of cinema theaters (a prime example being the [[Paramount Theater (Oakland, California)|Paramount Theater]] in [[Oakland]], [[California]]) and [[ocean liner]]s such as the ''[[SS Île de France|Île de France]]'', the ''[[RMS_Queen_Mary|Queen Mary]]'', and ''[[SS Normandie|Normandie]]''. Art Deco was employed extensively throughout America's train stations in the 1930s<ref>[http://www.agilitynut.com/train.html "Art Deco Train Stations"] - Retrieved December 12, 2007.</ref>, designed to reflect the modernity and efficiency of the train. The first Art Deco train station in the United States was the [[Union Station (Omaha)|Union Station]] in [[Omaha, Nebraska]].<ref>[http://www.southplattepress.com/current/unionstation.html Union Pacific and Omaha Union Station:A History pf Union Pacific Railroad Passenger Station in Omaha, Nebraska 1866-1971.] - Retrieved December 12, 2007.</ref> <ref>[http://www.dwhm.org/MuseumExterior.asp Museum Exterior Architecture.] - Retrieved December 12, 2007.</ref> The unveiling of Streamline trains paralleled the construction of the Art Deco stations.
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After the [[Exposition Universelle (1900)|Universal Exposition of 1900]], various French artists formed an informal collective known as, ''La Société des artistes décorateurs'' (the society of the decorator artists). Founders included [[Hector Guimard]], [[Eugène Grasset]], Raoul Lachenal, Paul Follot, Maurice Dufrene, and Emile Decour. These artists heavily influenced the principles of Art Deco as a whole. This society's purpose was to demonstrate French decorative art's leading position and evolution internationally. They organized the 1925 ''[[Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes]]'' (International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Art) in Paris, which would feature French art and business interests.<ref name="Encyclopedia of Art Deco">Alastair Duncan, (ed.), ''The Encyclopedia of Art Deco: A Visual Guide to the Influential Design Movement'' (original 1988) (London: Grange Books, 2005, ISBN 1840138238).</ref> The terms ''Style Moderne'' and ''Art Deco'' both derive from the exposition's title, though ''Art Deco'' was not widely used until popularized by art historian Bevis Hillier's 1968 book ''Art Deco of the 20s and 30s.''<ref>Bevis Hillier, ''Art Deco of the 20s and 30s'' (Studio Vista/Dutton picturebacks, 1968, ISBN 978-0289277881).</ref>
  
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[[Image:Nash_Ambassador_Slipstream_4-door_sedan.jpg|thumb|[[Nash Ambassador]] Slipstream sedan]]
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In the summer of 1969, Hillier conceived organizing an exhibition called ''Art Deco'' at the [[Minneapolis Institute of Arts]], which took place from July to September 1971. After this event, interest in Art Deco peaked with the publication of his 1971 book ''The World of Art Deco,'' a record of the exhibition.<ref name=Hillier>Bevis Hillier, ''The World of Art Deco'' (New York: E.P. Dutton & Co Inc, 1971, ISBN 9780525482383).</ref>
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==Sources==
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The structure of Art Deco is based on mathematical geometric shapes.
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It was widely considered to be an eclectic form of elegant and stylish modernism which derived from a variety of sources. Among them were the so-called "primitive" arts of [[Africa]], [[Ancient Egypt]], and [[Aztec]] [[Mexico]], as well as [[Machine Age|machine-age]] or [[streamliner|streamline]] technology such as modern [[aviation]], electric [[lighting]], the [[radio]], the [[ocean liner]] and the [[skyscraper]]. It is in Streamline Moderne styles that this technology fully manifests itself and, although it is not antithetical to Art Deco, it is now considered to be a separate architectural style.<ref> Alastair Duncan, ''Art Deco Complete'' (Harry N. Abrams, 2009, ISBN 978-0810980464).</ref>
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[[Image:Eastern Columbia Building entrance.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Terra cotta]] [[Sunburst (design)|sunburst design]] in gold behind sky blue and deep blue above the front doors of the [[Eastern Columbia Building]] in Los Angeles]]
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Art Deco design influences were expressed in fractionated, crystalline, faceted forms of decorative [[Cubism]] and [[Futurism]], in [[Fauvism]]'s palette.<ref>Charlotte Jirousek, [http://char.txa.cornell.edu/ART/DECART/ARTDECO/artdeco.htm Art, Design, and Visual Thinking - Art Deco] ''Cornell University'', 1995. Retrieved March 5, 2021.</ref> Other popular themes in Art Deco were trapezoidal, zigzagged, geometric, and jumbled shapes, which can be seen in many early pieces. Two great examples of these themes and styles are in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]: the [[Fisher Building]] and the [[Guardian Building]].<ref>Rebecca Binno Savage and Greg Kowalski, ''Art Deco in Detroit (Images of America)'' (Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Press, 2004, ISBN 0738532282).</ref>
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Corresponding to these influences, Art Deco is characterized by use of materials such as [[aluminum]], [[stainless steel]], lacquer, inlaid wood, sharkskin ([[shagreen]]), and zebraskin. The bold use of stepped forms and sweeping curves (unlike the sinuous, natural curves of the [[Art Nouveau]]), [[Chevron (insigne)|chevron]] patterns, and the [[Sunburst (design)|sunburst]] motif are typical of Art Deco. Some of these motifs were ubiquitous–for example, sunburst motifs were used in such varied contexts as ladies' shoes, radiator grilles, the auditorium of the [[Radio City Music Hall]], and the spire of the [[Chrysler Building]].
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==Attributes==
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===Architecture and Interior Design===
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Art Deco was an opulent style, and its lavishness is attributed to reaction to the forced austerity imposed by [[World War I]]. Its rich, festive character fitted it for "modern" contexts, including the [[Golden Gate Bridge]], interiors of cinema [[theater]]s (such as the [[Paramount Theater (Oakland, California)|Paramount Theater]] in [[Oakland]], [[California]]) and [[ocean liner]]s such as the ''[[SS Île de France|Île de France]],'' the ''[[RMS Queen Mary|Queen Mary]],'' and ''[[SS Normandie|Normandie]].'' Art Deco was employed extensively throughout America's train stations in the 1930s, designed to reflect the modernity and efficiency of the train. The first art-deco train station in the United States was the [[Union Station (Omaha)|Union Station]] in [[Omaha, Nebraska]].<ref>Carla Johnson, ''Union Pacific and Omaha Union Station'' (J & L Lee Co., 2000, 978-0934904445).</ref> The unveiling of streamlined trains paralleled the construction of the art deco stations.
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===1925 World's Fair===
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The term "Art Deco" comes from the ''Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes'' (International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts), the [[World's fair]] held in [[Paris]], [[France]] from April to October 1925. It was derived by shortening the words "''Arts Décoratifs''" in the title of the exposition.<ref>Theodore Menten, ''The Art Deco Style in Household Objects, Architecture, Sculpture, Graphics, Jewelry'' (Courier Dover, 1972, ISBN 048622824X).</ref> Artistic creation in the [[Roaring Twenties|''années folles'']] in France is marked by this event, when on this occasion many ideas of the international avant-garde in the fields of architecture and applied arts were brought together. This major event of the 1920s was located between the esplanade of [[Les Invalides]] and the entrances of the [[Grand Palais]] and [[Petit Palais]]. It received 4000 guests at the inauguration on April 28, and thousands of visitors each of the following days.
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This exhibition generated the term Art Deco to describe designs in terms of a broad decoratively "modern" style, characterized by a streamlined classicism and facetted, crystalline structures, embellished with decorative references to sleek machinery, and recurrent motifs of stylized fountains,<ref>[[René Lalique]]'s crystal tower fountain was a prominent set-piece of the Exposition.</ref> gazelles,<ref>The Exposition poster, by [[Robert Bonfils]], imitating the look of a [[Woodcut|woodblock]] print, featured a modern athletic [[nymph]] and a racing gazelle.</ref> lightning flashes, "[[Aztec]]" motifs and similar repertory, derived in part from [[Cubism|Decorative Cubism]].
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The central body of exhibits seemed to present the fashionable products of the luxury market, a signal that, after the disasters of [[World War I]], [[Paris]] still reigned supreme in the arts of [[design]].
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Art Deco left its impact in a variety of different media, including [[furniture]], [[jewelry]], painting and [[sculpture]], even [[poster]] art and postage stamps.
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===Streamline Moderne===
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[[Image:1934ChryslerAirflow.jpg|thumb|400px0px|1934 [[Chrysler Airflow]] sedan]]
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[[Image:Nash Ambassador Slipstream 4-door sedan.jpg|thumb|400px|1942 [[Nash Ambassador]] Slipstream sedan.]]
 
A parallel movement called [[Streamline Moderne]], or simply Streamline, followed close behind. Streamline was influenced by the modern aerodynamic designs emerging from advancing technologies in aviation, ballistics, and other fields requiring high velocity. The attractive shapes resulting from scientifically applied aerodynamic principles were enthusiastically adopted within Art Deco, applying streamlining techniques to other useful objects in everyday life, such as the [[automobile]]. Although the [[Chrysler Airflow]] design of 1933 was commercially unsuccessful, it provided the lead for more conservatively designed pseudo-streamlined vehicles. These "streamlined" forms began to be used even for mundane and static objects such as pencil sharpeners and refrigerators.
 
A parallel movement called [[Streamline Moderne]], or simply Streamline, followed close behind. Streamline was influenced by the modern aerodynamic designs emerging from advancing technologies in aviation, ballistics, and other fields requiring high velocity. The attractive shapes resulting from scientifically applied aerodynamic principles were enthusiastically adopted within Art Deco, applying streamlining techniques to other useful objects in everyday life, such as the [[automobile]]. Although the [[Chrysler Airflow]] design of 1933 was commercially unsuccessful, it provided the lead for more conservatively designed pseudo-streamlined vehicles. These "streamlined" forms began to be used even for mundane and static objects such as pencil sharpeners and refrigerators.
  
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The Art Deco style celebrates the [[Machine Age]] through explicit use of man-made materials (particularly glass and stainless steel), symmetry, repetition, modified by [[Asia]]n influences such as the use of silks and [[Middle East]]ern designs. It was strongly adopted in the United States during the [[Great Depression]] for its practicality and simplicity, while still portraying a reminder of better times and the "[[American Dream]]."
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Art Deco celebrates the Machine Age through explicit use of man-made materials (particularly glass and stainless steel), symmetry,<ref name="Art Deco Jewelry">[http://studiosoft.it/AntJewelryDeco.htm Art Deco Jewelry (1920-1930)] ''Arlecchino Antique Jewelry''. Retrieved March 5, 2021.</ref> repetition, modified by [[Asia]]n influences such as the use of silks and [[Middle East]]ern designs. It was strongly adopted in the United States during the [[Great Depression]] for its practicality and simplicity, while still portraying a reminder of better times and the "[[American Dream]]."
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Art Deco made use of many distinctive styles, but one of the most significant of its features was its dependence upon a range of ornaments and [[motif]]s.<ref name="Essential Art Deco">Ghislaine Wood, "Traditional Motifs," in ''Essential Art Deco'' (London: Victoria and Albert Museum Publications, 2003), 21.</ref> The style is said to have reflected the tensions in the cultural politics of its day, with [[eclecticism]] having been one of its defining features.<ref name="Essential Art Deco" /> In the words of [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]], the distinctive style of Art Deco was shaped by "all the nervous energy stored up and expended in the War."<ref name="The Jazz Age">F. Scott Fitzgerald, ''The Jazz Age'' (New York: New Directions Publishing, 1996, ISBN 0811213331), 3.</ref> Art Deco has been influenced in part by movements such as [[Cubism]], Russian [[Constructivism]] and Italian [[Futurism]], which are all evident in Art Deco decorative arts.<ref name="Encyclopedia of Art Deco"/>
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==Decline and Resurgence==
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Art Deco slowly lost patronage in the West after reaching mass production, when it began to be derided as gaudy and presenting a false image of luxury. Eventually, the style was cut short by the austerities of [[World War II]]. In colonial countries such as [[India]] and the [[Philippines]], it became a gateway for Modernism and continued to be used well into the 1960s. Before their destruction during World War II, [[Manila]] possessed many art-deco buildings; a legacy of the American colonial past. Theaters and office buildings were lost in the war or later demolished and abandoned for new development.
  
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==Decorative arts==
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A resurgence of interest in Art Deco came with [[graphic design]] in the 1980s, where its association with [[film noir]] and 1930s glamor led to its use in ads for jewelry and fashion.<ref>Pamela Gaunt, ''The Decorative in Twentieth Century Art: A Story of Decline and Resurgence'' (VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, 2010, ISBN 978-3639223484).</ref>
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[[Image:Revista Vida por Santiago Martinez Delgado Art Deco.jpg|thumb|upright|”Illustration for Vida Magazine by Santiago Martinez Delgado (1939)”]]
 
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Among the decorative arts during this period, architecture and sculpture are easier to recognize than other forms of Art Deco, for they experienced the greatest popularity and with greater longevity than others, such as lacquering, glass work, and industrial design. Popular sculptors include (in alphetical order): [[Rene Paul Chambellan]], [[Marshall Fredericks]], [[C. Paul Jennewein]], and [[Joseph Kiselewski]]. [[Lee Lawrie]], [[Paul Manship]].  
 
  
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Architects of this time include [[Albert Anis]], [[Ernest Cormier]], [[Banister Fletcher|Banister Flight Fletcher]], [[Bruce Goff]], [[Charles Holden]], [[Raymond Hood]], [[Ely Jacques Kahn]], [[Edwin Lutyens]], [[William van Alen]], [[Wirt C. Rowland]], [[Giles Gilbert Scott]], [[Joseph Sunlight]], [[Ralph Walker]], [[Wallis, Gilbert and Partners|Thomas Wallis]], and [[Owen Williams]].
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===Memphis Group===
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{{main|Memphis group}}
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{{main|Kitsch}}
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Art Deco also helped to inspire the [[Memphis Group]], an influential [[Italy|Italian]] [[design]] and [[architecture]] movement of the 1980s. The group was founded by [[Ettore Sottsass]]. The group, which eventually counted among its members Martine Bedin, [[Andrea Branzi]], Aldo Cibic, Michele de Lucchi, Nathalie du Pasquier, [[Michael Graves]], [[Hans Hollein]], [[Arata Isozaki]], Shiro Kuromata, [[Matteo Thun]], [[Javier Mariscal]], [[George Sowden]], Marco Zanini, and the journalist Barbara Radice, disbanded in 1988.
  
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Other forms of decorative art were very focused on elegance, dynamic design, and bright colours, while expressing practical modernity. Many popular interior designers of this period were also furniture designers. Artists like [[Santiago Martinez Delgado]], [[Tamara de Lempicka]], [[Eileen Gray]], [[Jules Leleu]], and [[Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann]] all fit into this category.
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Named after the [[Bob Dylan]] song ''[[Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again]],'' the movement was a reaction against the post-[[Bauhaus]] "black box" designs of the 1970s and had a sense of humor that was lacking at the time in design. The Memphis Group offered bright, colorful, shocking pieces. The colors they used contrasted the dark blacks and browns of European furniture. In addition to Art Deco, they drew inspiration from [[Pop Art]] as well as the 1950s [[Kitsch]] and futuristic themes. Their concepts were in stark contrast to so called 'Good Design'.
  
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A select few industrial designers were extremely popular, such as [[Walter Dorwin Teague]], [[Maurice Ascalon]], and [[Donald Deskey]]. Other notable artists were [[Georg Jensen]] (silversmith), [[Jean Dunand]] (lacquer), [[Edgar Brandt]] (wrought iron), [[Harry Clarke]] (stained glass) and [[Cartier SA|Cartier]] (clocks and jewelry).
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==Legacy==
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{{main|Pop art}}
  
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== Decline ==
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Art Deco owed much to numerous early twentieth century art movements, including [[Bauhaus]] and [[Futurism]],<ref name="Essential Art Deco" /> while exerting a profound influence on many later artistic movements, such as [[Memphis Group|Memphis]] and [[Pop art]]. Its popularity peaked in Europe during the [[Roaring Twenties]] and continued strongly in the United States through the 1930s. Although many design movements have political or philosophical roots or intentions, Art Deco was purely decorative. At the time, this style was seen as elegant, functional, and modern.
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Art Deco slowly lost patronage in the West after reaching mass production, when it began to be derided as gaudy and presenting a false image of luxury. Eventually, the style was cut short by the austerities of [[World War II]]. In colonial countries such as India and the [[Philippines]], it became a gateway for Modernism and continued to be used well into the 1960s. Before destruction in World War II, [[Manila]] demonstrated many Art Deco buildings; a symbol of the American colonial past. Theatres and Office Buildings have been lost in the war and recently demolished and abandoned for new development. A resurgence of interest in Art Deco came with [[graphic design]] in the 1980s, where its association with [[film noir]] and 1930s glamour led to its use in ads for jewelry and fashion. [[South Beach]] in [[Miami Beach, Florida]] has the largest collection of Art Deco architecture remaining in North America, as well as a section of [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]]. [[Napier, New Zealand]] has an almost entirely Art Deco town centre, rebuilt after [[1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake|a devastating earthquake]], and mostly left unchanged since then.
 
  
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Appropriate to the rich diversity of sources, some of the finest surviving examples of Art Deco art and architecture are found in [[Cuba]], especially in [[Havana]]. Just as the 1950s automobiles from the U.S. have been preserved and restored, so has the Office of the Historian of Havana has been restoring these buildings for the past ten years. The [[Bacardi Building]] is the best known of these; however, the style is found throughout all the districts of the city of Havana and in all the cities of Cuba. The style is expressed in the architecture of residences, businesses, hotels, and many pieces of decorative art, furniture, and utensils in these public buildings, as well as in private homes.<ref name="hillier"/>
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===Surviving examples===
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Some of the finest surviving examples of art-deco art and architecture are found in [[Cuba]], especially in [[Havana]]. The Bacardi Building is the best known of these. The style is expressed in the architecture of residences, businesses, hotels, and many pieces of decorative art, furniture, and utensils in public buildings, as well as in private homes.<ref name=Hillier/>
  
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==Modern applications==
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Another country with many examples of rich art-deco architecture is [[Brazil]], specially in Goiânia and cities like Cipó (Bahia), Iraí (Rio Grande do Sul) and [[Rio de Janeiro]], especially in Copacabana. Also in the Brazilian Northeast—notably in countryside cities, such as Campina Grande in Paraiba State—there is a noticeable group of Art Deco buildings, which has been called “Sertanejo Art Deco” because of its peculiar architectural features.<ref>José Marconi B. de Souza, and Lia Monica, [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jose-B-De-Souza/publication/269234130_Sertanejo_Art_Deco_an_inspiration_for_a_Brazilian_design/links/5889ededaca272f628d4cdc7/Sertanejo-Art-Deco-an-inspiration-for-a-Brazilian-design.pdf Sertanejo Art Deco: an inspiration for a Brazilian design?] 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2021.</ref> The art deco style is widespread in Brazil due to its coincidence with the fast growth and radical economic changes of the country during 1930-1940.
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[[Image:Marlin Hotel Art Deco.jpg|thumb|Marlin Hotel - Art Deco architecture on Collins Ave. - [[Miami Beach]]]]
 
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Although Art Deco fell out of vogue in the 1940s, it has had small rebirths over subsequent decades. Its designs frequently appear in modern architecture, entertainment, and media when a "classic retro" look is sought. In media, such examples are obvious in ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'' from the early 1990s in which the show's creators used Art Deco styling fused with a deliberate darkness to create an Art Deco variant style often referred to as Dark Deco. Films such as ''[[Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow]]'', ''[[Dick Tracy (film)|Dick Tracy]]'', and [[King Kong (2005 film)|''King Kong'']] have various Art Deco elements as well. In [[Marilyn Manson]]'s ''[[The Golden Age of Grotesque]]'', he demonstrates an Art Deco style mixed with his Gothic trademark.
 
  
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In [[Long Beach, California]], much of the recent city development has been presented in an Art Deco-like, [[Postmodern architecture|postmodern style]]. Similarly, [[Downtown Disney]] in [[Anaheim, California]] has an Art Deco-themed section. A section of the planned community of [[Ladera Ranch, California|Ladera Ranch]], [[California]], has a shopping center themed to Art Deco.
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[[South Beach]] in [[Miami Beach, Florida]] has the largest collection of Art Deco architecture remaining in North America. Much of the Art Deco heritage of [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]] remains from that city's oil boom days.<ref>[https://tulsapreservationcommission.org/tulsa-art-deco/ Tulsa Art Deco] ''Tulsa Preservation Commission''.  Retrieved March 5, 2021.</ref>
  
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Similarly in [[Santa Ana|Santa Ana, California]], new development has looked to replicate and complement the historical Art Deco structures already there.
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===Art Deco in 1930s house design in the UK===
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Dwelling-house design during the 1930s in the UK was also very much influenced by Art Deco. Straight, white-rendered house frontages rising to flat roofs, sharply geometric door surrounds, Egyptian motifs, tall windows as well as convex curved metal corner windows or even round bull's-eye windows (reminiscent of ocean-liner design), all were characteristic of that period<ref>[https://www.london-footprints.co.uk/artdecobldgs.htm Art Deco Buildings: London examples] ''London Footprints''. Retrieved March 5, 2021.</ref> However, during double-glazing transformations in the late twentieth century, many of the original art deco window features were lost and replaced by less distinctive styles.
  
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In [[Singapore]], the [[Parkview Square]] building , completed in 2002, is built in an Art Deco style and includes an Art Deco styled lobby.
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The 1930s was the period during which most building of homes specifically for sale took place in the UK. Despite loss of some classic art-deco features from remodeling in subsequent decades, the large number of houses remaining from the period ensures that many fine examples of art-deco housing can still be viewed.
  
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Art Deco can also be seen in the graphic design of various video games, such as ''[[BioShock]]'' and the ''[[Fallout (series)|Fallout series]]'', which use it to give their high tech settings a [[retro-futurism|retro-futuristic]] feel. The [[film noir]]-type adventure game ''[[Grim Fandango]]'' largely takes place in a very pronounced Art Deco environment, and the strategy game ''[[Sim City 4]]'' has similar influences as well.
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Of particular note in the typical '1930s semi' are sunrise-symbol-motif doors, garden gates and garages as well as the infamous 'suntrap' window (featuring a distinct one-sided curve) and the linear form of the famous ''critall'' window. There are features such as monochrome wall and floor tiling and [[bakelite]] door-knobs in simple geometric designs, sometimes with deco-flourished fingerplates or [[escutcheon (furniture)|escutcheons]].
  
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[[Shanghai]] had a distinct Art Deco style. Today, some Shanghainese are attempting to save that architecture.
+
Fine examples of luxurious art-deco homes are now vested in organizations such as [[English Heritage]] and [[The National Trust]] in the UK. Both organizations seek to maintain and restore historic homes and facilitate paid public access. A particularly beautiful example is [[Eltham Palace]]<ref>[https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/eltham-palace-and-gardens/ Eltham Palace and Gardens] ''English Heritage''. Retrieved March 5, 2021.</ref>, built in 1936 by Stephen and Virginia Courtauld, close to the ruins of [[Henry VIII]]'s boyhood home in [[London]]. It features a large circular reception room with a glass roof, beautifully impressive bathroom, bedrooms and dining rooms and all of the original furnishings and features, including a house-wide radio system and an arterial vacuum-cleaning system.
  
 
==Gallery==
 
==Gallery==
−
<gallery widths="200px" perrow="4">
+
<gallery>
−
Image:Buffalo_City_Hall.jpg|[[Buffalo City Hall]] in [[Buffalo, NY]], which was built in 1931.
+
 
−
Image:Buffalo_Central_Terminal_2.jpg|[[Buffalo Central Terminal]] in [[Buffalo, NY]], which was built in 1929.
+
Image:NebraskaStateCapitolFloor1.jpg|Nebraska State Capitol floor mosaic
−
Image:S_C_C.jpg|The [[Supreme Court of Canada]] in [[Ottawa]], which was built in 1946.
+
Image:RCMH NYC1.jpg|''Song'', Radio City Music Hall rondel
−
Image:Eaton's College Street Store Toronto Canada - 7th Floor Lobby Sketch.jpg|Interior drawing, [[College Park (Toronto)|Eaton's College Street]] department store, [[Toronto|Toronto, Canada]].
+
Image:US 853.jpg|United States 1939, Trylon & Perisphere at New York World's Fair Art Deco stamp
−
Image:Snowdon Theatre (Montreal).jpg|The disused Snowdon [[Movie theater|theatre]] in [[Montreal, Canada]]
+
Image:Germany 346.jpg|Germany 1925, "[[Traffic circle|Traffic wheel]]"
−
Image:Beau Brownie.jpg|[[Walter Dorwin Teague]]'s "Beau Brownie" camera for [[Eastman Kodak]].
+
Image:PRR S1.jpg|The [[PRR S1]] on display at the 1939 World's Fair. This engine ran continuously at 60 MPH (on a dynamometer) while the Fair was open.
−
Image:Santiago Martinez Delgado for the 1933 Chicago.jpg|Mural for the 1933 Chicago International Fair.
+
Image:Guardianinterior.jpg|''Cathedral of Finance'', 500 [[Griswold Street]], [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]
−
Image:Ss paris stairs.jpg|The grand staircase aboard the ''[[SS Paris]].
+
Image:RMS Queen Mary Grand Salon edit.jpg|The First Class dining room on the ''Queen Mary'', also known as the Grand Salon.
−
Image:Phul Cinema.jpg|Phul Cinema in [[Patiala]], [[India]].
+
Image:Fauteuil carré.jpg|Art Deco Furniture
−
Image:P&Ltower.png|[[Kansas City Power and Light Building]], in [[Kansas City, Missouri]].
+
Image:Armoire artdeco.jpg|Art Deco French Armoire made in the 1930s.
−
Image:IMG 9136.jpg|The [[Griffith Observatory]] in [[Los Angeles, California]], April 2007
+
Image:1939fairhelicline.jpg|''Trylon, Perisphere and Helicline'' photo by [[Sam Gottscho]] from the 1939 World's Fair in New York.  
−
Image:Coittower1.jpg|[[Coit Tower]] in [[San Francisco, California]]
+
Image:Airstream 1.jpg|[[Airstream]] trailer
−
Image:Cincimuseum.jpg|[[Cincinnati Union Terminal|Union Terminal]] in [[Cincinnati, Ohio]].
+
Image:Toaster1.jpg|[[Toaster]]
−
Image:Delano National MiamiBeach.JPG|Delano, National hotel fronts on Collins Ave. - [[Miami Beach]]
+
Image:Crosley radio.jpg|Bakelite radio
−
Image:Town Hall - Coronel Pringles.jpg|Town hall in [[Coronel Pringles]], [[Argentina]] by [[Francisco Salamone]].
+
 
−
Image:Tower_theater.jpg|Tower Theater in [[Sacramento, California]], built in 1938. [http://www.thetowertheatre.com/tower/default.asp Tower Theater Homepage]
 
−
Image:DSCN5022 nebraskacapitolwithfountain e.jpg|The [[Nebraska State Capitol]].
 
−
Image:shaws-art-deco.jpg|Interior of Shaw's Oyster Bar, Chicago.
 
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
Line 76: Line 102:
 
{{reflist}}
 
{{reflist}}
  
−
==See also==
+
==References==
−
*1933 Chicago World's Fair [[Century of Progress]]
+
*Applegate, Judith. ''Art Deco.'' New York: Finch College Museum Of Art/Cranbrook Academy of Art, 1970. {{OCLC| 140990}}
−
*[[1939 New York World's Fair]]
+
*Bayer, Patricia. ''Art Deco Architecture Design, Decoration and Detail from the Twenties and Thirties.'' London: Thames & Hudson, 1999. ISBN 0500281491.
−
*[[Aleksandra Ekster]]
+
*Benton, Charlotte, Tim Benton, and Ghislaine Wood, with Oriana Baddeley, Collaborator. ''Art Deco: 1910-1939.'' Boston: Little Brown & Co., 2003. ISBN 9780821228340.
−
*[[Corrado Parducci]]
+
*Breeze, Carla. ''American Art Deco: Modernistic Architecture and Regionalism.'' New York: WW Norton & Co., 2003. ISBN 0500281491.
−
*[[Durban Art Deco]]
+
*Duncan, Alastair (ed.). ''Encyclopedia of Art Deco: A Visual Guide to the Influential Design Movement.'' (original 1988) London: Grange Books, 2005. ISBN 1840138238.
−
*[[Fisher Building]]
+
* Duncan, Alastair. ''Art Deco Complete''. Harry N. Abrams, 2009. ISBN 978-0810980464
−
*[[Francisco Salamone]]
+
*Fischer, Lucy. ''Designing Women: Cinema, Art Deco and the Female Form.'' New York: Columbia University Press, 2003. 
−
*[[Guardian Building]]
+
*Gallagher, Fiona. ''Christie's Art Deco.'' Watson Guptill Publications, 2002. ISBN 1862055092.
−
*[[International style (architecture)|International style]]
+
*Gaunt, Pamela. ''The Decorative in Twentieth Century Art: A Story of Decline and Resurgence''. VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, 2010. ISBN 978-3639223484
−
*[[List of Art Deco architecture]]
+
*Hillier, Bevis. ''Art Deco of the 20s and 30s.'' Studio Vista/Dutton, 1968. ISBN 0289277884. 
−
*[[List of Art Deco buildings in Melbourne]]
+
*Hillier, Bevis. ''The World of Art Deco.'' New York, E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1971. ISBN 9780525482383.
−
*[[List of Art Deco buildings in Tasmania]]
+
*Johnson, Carla. ''Union Pacific and Omaha Union Station.'' J. & L. Lee Company, 2000. 978-0934904445
−
*[[Napier, New Zealand]]
+
*Menten, Theodore. ''The Art Deco Style in Household Objects, Architecture, Sculpture, Graphics, Jewelry.'' New York: Courier Dover, 1972. ISBN 048622824X
−
*[[Oliver Percy Bernard]]
+
*Ray, Gordon N. ''The Art Deco Book In France.'' The Bibliographical Society of The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 2005. ISBN 1883631122.
−
*[[Streamline Moderne]]
+
*Savage, Rebecca Binno, and Greg Kowalski. ''Art Deco in Detroit (Images of America).'' Arcadia, 2004. ISBN 0738532282.
−
*[[Vadim Meller]]
+
*Schwartzman, Arnold. ''Deco LAndmarks: Art Deco Gems of Los Angeles.'' Chronicle Books, 1995. ISBN 0811846016.
−
*[[Wirt C. Rowland]]
+
*Unes, Wolney. ''Identidade Art Deco de Goiânia.'' Ateliê, 2003. ISBN 8574800902.
 +
*Wood, Ghislaine. "Traditional Motifs", ''Essential Art Deco.'' London: Bulfinch, 2003. ISBN 0821228331. (Victoria and Albert Museum Publications, 21.) (Co-curator of the exhibition Art Deco 1910-1939)
  
−
==References==
+
==External links==
 +
All links retrieved August 15, 2023.
  
−
* Applegate, Judith. Intro. by Elayne H. Varian, ''Art Deco'' (New York Finch College Museum Of Art).
+
*[http://artdecomontreal.com/ Art Deco Montreal]
−
* Bayer, Patricia, ''Art Deco Architecture Design, Decoration and Detail from the Twenties and Thirties''. (London: Thames & Hudson, 1999) ISBN 0500281491, ISBN 978-0500281499.
+
*[https://www.artdeco.org.au/ Art Deco Society, Victoria, Australia]
−
* Benton, Charlotte (Author), Tim Benton (Author), Ghislaine Wood (Author), Oriana Baddeley (Collaborator). ''Art Deco: 1910-1939'' (Little Brown & Co., 2003). ISBN 9780821228340 ISBN 082122834X.
+
*[http://www.adsw.org/ Art Deco Society of Washington]
−
* Breeze, Carla, ''American Art Deco: Modernistic Architecture and Regionalism'' (Norton, WW & Co., 2003). ISBN 0500281491; ISBN 978-0500281499.
+
*[https://www.artdecosocietyofcalifornia.org/ Art Deco Society of California]
−
* Gallagher, Fiona, ''Christie's Art Deco'' (Watson Guptill Publications, 2002) ISBN 1862055092.
+
*[https://www.artdeconapier.com/ Napier, New Zealand Art Deco Trust]
−
* Hillier, Bevis ''The World of Art Deco'' (New York, E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1971) ISBN 9780525482383  ISBN 0525482385.
 
−
* Ray, Gordon N.; Tansell, G. Thomas, Ed., ''The Art Deco Book In France''. The Bibliographical Society of The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 2005) ISBN 1883631122.
 
−
* Savage, Rebecca Binno and Greg Kowalski. ''Art Deco in Detroit (Images of America)''. (Arcadia, 2004). ISBN 0-7385-3228-2.
 
  
−
==External links (alphabetical by geographic location)==
 
−
All links retrieved December 12, 2007.
 
−
{{Commonscat|Art Deco}}
 
−
*[http://www.artdecoworld.com/gallery03.htm Anzac Memorial article with photos]
 
−
*[http://www.achome.co.uk/artdeco/index.php?page=links Art Deco Resource]
 
−
*[http://sephsgallery.fotopic.net/ Art Deco around the UK]
 
−
*[http://www.adsw.org/resource/websites.html Art deco websites list]
 
−
*[http://www.artdecosociety.org/ California Art Deco Society]
 
−
*[http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/Tours/ArtDeco.html Chicago landmarks, Art Deco architecture tour]
 
−
*[http://etext.virginia.edu/bsuva/artdeco/ France—The Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia presents Illustrations for The Art Deco Book in France, by Gordon N. Ray, Edited by G. Thomas Tanselle]
 
−
*[http://users.iafrica.com/a/an/andryn/ Durban Deco Directory: South Africa]
 
−
*[http://www.pal-bell.com/ Israel—Maurice Ascalon's Pal-Bell, The Art Deco industrial design of]
 
−
*[http://www.decopix.com large collection of photographic examples]
 
−
*[http://www.artdeconapier.com/ Napier, New Zealand Art Deco Trust] 
 
−
*[http://www.capitol.org/index.html Nebraska State Capitol site]
 
−
*[http://www.artdecosydney.com/ Sydney Australia, Website with pictures and history of Art Deco Buildings]
 
−
*[http://tulsapreservationcommission.org/artdeco Tulsa, Oklahoma Art Deco Heritage]
 
−
*[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/wpaposters/wpahome.html USA—Posters from the Works Projects Administration (WPA), Library of Congress]
 
−
*[http://www.artdecowa.org.au/ Western Australia Art Deco Society]
 
−
*[http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1157_art_deco/about/starobjects/ Art Deco objects in detail]
 
  
 
{{Westernart}}
 
{{Westernart}}
 
{{Modernarch}}
 
{{Modernarch}}
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[[Category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
 
[[Category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
 
[[Category:Art]]
 
[[Category:Art]]
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{{credits|177272773}}
+
{{credits|Art_Deco|249009415|Art_Deco|253553146|Memphis_Group|251947963|Exposition_Internationale_des_Arts_Décoratifs_et_Industriels_Modernes|250437934}}

Latest revision as of 04:01, 15 August 2023


The art-deco spire of the Chrysler Building in New York, built 1928–1930.

Art Deco was a popular international design movement from 1925 until 1939, affecting the decorative arts such as architecture, interior design, and industrial design, as well as the visual arts including fashion, painting, the graphic arts, and film. This movement was an amalgam of many different styles and movements of the early twentieth century, including Neoclassical, Constructivism, Cubism, Modernism, Bauhaus, Art Nouveau, and Futurism.

Art Deco experienced a decline in popularity during the late 1930s and early 1940s, and soon fell out of public favor. The time frame was roughly from the World's Fair in Paris in 1925 to the World's Fair in New York in 1939. Afterward, Art Deco experienced a resurgence with the advent of graphic design in the 1980s. Surviving examples may still be seen in many different locations worldwide, in countries as diverse as the United Kingdom, Cuba, the Phillipines, and Brazil. Many classic examples still exist in the form of architecture in many major cities. The Chrysler building, designed by William Van Alen, is a classic example of this, as it is one of the most notable examples of Art Deco architecture today. Other prominent examples include the Empire State Building and the New Yorker Hotel in New York City.

While most of the modern art movements were grounded in ideology, Art Deco was a celebration of modern life and style, seeking elegance over philosophical content.

History

City Hall of Buffalo, New York, an art-deco building.

After the Universal Exposition of 1900, various French artists formed an informal collective known as, La Société des artistes décorateurs (the society of the decorator artists). Founders included Hector Guimard, Eugène Grasset, Raoul Lachenal, Paul Follot, Maurice Dufrene, and Emile Decour. These artists heavily influenced the principles of Art Deco as a whole. This society's purpose was to demonstrate French decorative art's leading position and evolution internationally. They organized the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Art) in Paris, which would feature French art and business interests.[1] The terms Style Moderne and Art Deco both derive from the exposition's title, though Art Deco was not widely used until popularized by art historian Bevis Hillier's 1968 book Art Deco of the 20s and 30s.[2]

In the summer of 1969, Hillier conceived organizing an exhibition called Art Deco at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, which took place from July to September 1971. After this event, interest in Art Deco peaked with the publication of his 1971 book The World of Art Deco, a record of the exhibition.[3]

Sources

The structure of Art Deco is based on mathematical geometric shapes. It was widely considered to be an eclectic form of elegant and stylish modernism which derived from a variety of sources. Among them were the so-called "primitive" arts of Africa, Ancient Egypt, and Aztec Mexico, as well as machine-age or streamline technology such as modern aviation, electric lighting, the radio, the ocean liner and the skyscraper. It is in Streamline Moderne styles that this technology fully manifests itself and, although it is not antithetical to Art Deco, it is now considered to be a separate architectural style.[4]

Terra cotta sunburst design in gold behind sky blue and deep blue above the front doors of the Eastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles

Art Deco design influences were expressed in fractionated, crystalline, faceted forms of decorative Cubism and Futurism, in Fauvism's palette.[5] Other popular themes in Art Deco were trapezoidal, zigzagged, geometric, and jumbled shapes, which can be seen in many early pieces. Two great examples of these themes and styles are in Detroit, Michigan: the Fisher Building and the Guardian Building.[6]

Corresponding to these influences, Art Deco is characterized by use of materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, lacquer, inlaid wood, sharkskin (shagreen), and zebraskin. The bold use of stepped forms and sweeping curves (unlike the sinuous, natural curves of the Art Nouveau), chevron patterns, and the sunburst motif are typical of Art Deco. Some of these motifs were ubiquitous–for example, sunburst motifs were used in such varied contexts as ladies' shoes, radiator grilles, the auditorium of the Radio City Music Hall, and the spire of the Chrysler Building.

Attributes

Architecture and Interior Design

Art Deco was an opulent style, and its lavishness is attributed to reaction to the forced austerity imposed by World War I. Its rich, festive character fitted it for "modern" contexts, including the Golden Gate Bridge, interiors of cinema theaters (such as the Paramount Theater in Oakland, California) and ocean liners such as the Île de France, the Queen Mary, and Normandie. Art Deco was employed extensively throughout America's train stations in the 1930s, designed to reflect the modernity and efficiency of the train. The first art-deco train station in the United States was the Union Station in Omaha, Nebraska.[7] The unveiling of streamlined trains paralleled the construction of the art deco stations.

1925 World's Fair

The term "Art Deco" comes from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts), the World's fair held in Paris, France from April to October 1925. It was derived by shortening the words "Arts Décoratifs" in the title of the exposition.[8] Artistic creation in the années folles in France is marked by this event, when on this occasion many ideas of the international avant-garde in the fields of architecture and applied arts were brought together. This major event of the 1920s was located between the esplanade of Les Invalides and the entrances of the Grand Palais and Petit Palais. It received 4000 guests at the inauguration on April 28, and thousands of visitors each of the following days.

This exhibition generated the term Art Deco to describe designs in terms of a broad decoratively "modern" style, characterized by a streamlined classicism and facetted, crystalline structures, embellished with decorative references to sleek machinery, and recurrent motifs of stylized fountains,[9] gazelles,[10] lightning flashes, "Aztec" motifs and similar repertory, derived in part from Decorative Cubism.

The central body of exhibits seemed to present the fashionable products of the luxury market, a signal that, after the disasters of World War I, Paris still reigned supreme in the arts of design.

Art Deco left its impact in a variety of different media, including furniture, jewelry, painting and sculpture, even poster art and postage stamps.

Streamline Moderne

1934 Chrysler Airflow sedan
1942 Nash Ambassador Slipstream sedan.

A parallel movement called Streamline Moderne, or simply Streamline, followed close behind. Streamline was influenced by the modern aerodynamic designs emerging from advancing technologies in aviation, ballistics, and other fields requiring high velocity. The attractive shapes resulting from scientifically applied aerodynamic principles were enthusiastically adopted within Art Deco, applying streamlining techniques to other useful objects in everyday life, such as the automobile. Although the Chrysler Airflow design of 1933 was commercially unsuccessful, it provided the lead for more conservatively designed pseudo-streamlined vehicles. These "streamlined" forms began to be used even for mundane and static objects such as pencil sharpeners and refrigerators.

Art Deco celebrates the Machine Age through explicit use of man-made materials (particularly glass and stainless steel), symmetry,[11] repetition, modified by Asian influences such as the use of silks and Middle Eastern designs. It was strongly adopted in the United States during the Great Depression for its practicality and simplicity, while still portraying a reminder of better times and the "American Dream."

Art Deco made use of many distinctive styles, but one of the most significant of its features was its dependence upon a range of ornaments and motifs.[12] The style is said to have reflected the tensions in the cultural politics of its day, with eclecticism having been one of its defining features.[12] In the words of F. Scott Fitzgerald, the distinctive style of Art Deco was shaped by "all the nervous energy stored up and expended in the War."[13] Art Deco has been influenced in part by movements such as Cubism, Russian Constructivism and Italian Futurism, which are all evident in Art Deco decorative arts.[1]

Decline and Resurgence

Art Deco slowly lost patronage in the West after reaching mass production, when it began to be derided as gaudy and presenting a false image of luxury. Eventually, the style was cut short by the austerities of World War II. In colonial countries such as India and the Philippines, it became a gateway for Modernism and continued to be used well into the 1960s. Before their destruction during World War II, Manila possessed many art-deco buildings; a legacy of the American colonial past. Theaters and office buildings were lost in the war or later demolished and abandoned for new development.

A resurgence of interest in Art Deco came with graphic design in the 1980s, where its association with film noir and 1930s glamor led to its use in ads for jewelry and fashion.[14]

Memphis Group

Art Deco also helped to inspire the Memphis Group, an influential Italian design and architecture movement of the 1980s. The group was founded by Ettore Sottsass. The group, which eventually counted among its members Martine Bedin, Andrea Branzi, Aldo Cibic, Michele de Lucchi, Nathalie du Pasquier, Michael Graves, Hans Hollein, Arata Isozaki, Shiro Kuromata, Matteo Thun, Javier Mariscal, George Sowden, Marco Zanini, and the journalist Barbara Radice, disbanded in 1988.

Named after the Bob Dylan song Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again, the movement was a reaction against the post-Bauhaus "black box" designs of the 1970s and had a sense of humor that was lacking at the time in design. The Memphis Group offered bright, colorful, shocking pieces. The colors they used contrasted the dark blacks and browns of European furniture. In addition to Art Deco, they drew inspiration from Pop Art as well as the 1950s Kitsch and futuristic themes. Their concepts were in stark contrast to so called 'Good Design'.

Legacy

Art Deco owed much to numerous early twentieth century art movements, including Bauhaus and Futurism,[12] while exerting a profound influence on many later artistic movements, such as Memphis and Pop art. Its popularity peaked in Europe during the Roaring Twenties and continued strongly in the United States through the 1930s. Although many design movements have political or philosophical roots or intentions, Art Deco was purely decorative. At the time, this style was seen as elegant, functional, and modern.

Surviving examples

Some of the finest surviving examples of art-deco art and architecture are found in Cuba, especially in Havana. The Bacardi Building is the best known of these. The style is expressed in the architecture of residences, businesses, hotels, and many pieces of decorative art, furniture, and utensils in public buildings, as well as in private homes.[3]

Another country with many examples of rich art-deco architecture is Brazil, specially in Goiânia and cities like Cipó (Bahia), Iraí (Rio Grande do Sul) and Rio de Janeiro, especially in Copacabana. Also in the Brazilian Northeast—notably in countryside cities, such as Campina Grande in Paraiba State—there is a noticeable group of Art Deco buildings, which has been called “Sertanejo Art Deco” because of its peculiar architectural features.[15] The art deco style is widespread in Brazil due to its coincidence with the fast growth and radical economic changes of the country during 1930-1940.

South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida has the largest collection of Art Deco architecture remaining in North America. Much of the Art Deco heritage of Tulsa, Oklahoma remains from that city's oil boom days.[16]

Art Deco in 1930s house design in the UK

Dwelling-house design during the 1930s in the UK was also very much influenced by Art Deco. Straight, white-rendered house frontages rising to flat roofs, sharply geometric door surrounds, Egyptian motifs, tall windows as well as convex curved metal corner windows or even round bull's-eye windows (reminiscent of ocean-liner design), all were characteristic of that period[17] However, during double-glazing transformations in the late twentieth century, many of the original art deco window features were lost and replaced by less distinctive styles.

The 1930s was the period during which most building of homes specifically for sale took place in the UK. Despite loss of some classic art-deco features from remodeling in subsequent decades, the large number of houses remaining from the period ensures that many fine examples of art-deco housing can still be viewed.

Of particular note in the typical '1930s semi' are sunrise-symbol-motif doors, garden gates and garages as well as the infamous 'suntrap' window (featuring a distinct one-sided curve) and the linear form of the famous critall window. There are features such as monochrome wall and floor tiling and bakelite door-knobs in simple geometric designs, sometimes with deco-flourished fingerplates or escutcheons.

Fine examples of luxurious art-deco homes are now vested in organizations such as English Heritage and The National Trust in the UK. Both organizations seek to maintain and restore historic homes and facilitate paid public access. A particularly beautiful example is Eltham Palace[18], built in 1936 by Stephen and Virginia Courtauld, close to the ruins of Henry VIII's boyhood home in London. It features a large circular reception room with a glass roof, beautifully impressive bathroom, bedrooms and dining rooms and all of the original furnishings and features, including a house-wide radio system and an arterial vacuum-cleaning system.

Gallery

  • Nebraska State Capitol floor mosaic

  • Song, Radio City Music Hall rondel

  • United States 1939, Trylon & Perisphere at New York World's Fair Art Deco stamp

  • Germany 1925, "Traffic wheel"

  • The PRR S1 on display at the 1939 World's Fair. This engine ran continuously at 60 MPH (on a dynamometer) while the Fair was open.

  • Cathedral of Finance, 500 Griswold Street, Detroit, Michigan

  • The First Class dining room on the Queen Mary, also known as the Grand Salon.

  • Art Deco Furniture

  • Art Deco French Armoire made in the 1930s.

  • Trylon, Perisphere and Helicline photo by Sam Gottscho from the 1939 World's Fair in New York.

  • Airstream trailer

  • Toaster

  • Bakelite radio

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Alastair Duncan, (ed.), The Encyclopedia of Art Deco: A Visual Guide to the Influential Design Movement (original 1988) (London: Grange Books, 2005, ISBN 1840138238).
  2. ↑ Bevis Hillier, Art Deco of the 20s and 30s (Studio Vista/Dutton picturebacks, 1968, ISBN 978-0289277881).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bevis Hillier, The World of Art Deco (New York: E.P. Dutton & Co Inc, 1971, ISBN 9780525482383).
  4. ↑ Alastair Duncan, Art Deco Complete (Harry N. Abrams, 2009, ISBN 978-0810980464).
  5. ↑ Charlotte Jirousek, Art, Design, and Visual Thinking - Art Deco Cornell University, 1995. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  6. ↑ Rebecca Binno Savage and Greg Kowalski, Art Deco in Detroit (Images of America) (Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Press, 2004, ISBN 0738532282).
  7. ↑ Carla Johnson, Union Pacific and Omaha Union Station (J & L Lee Co., 2000, 978-0934904445).
  8. ↑ Theodore Menten, The Art Deco Style in Household Objects, Architecture, Sculpture, Graphics, Jewelry (Courier Dover, 1972, ISBN 048622824X).
  9. ↑ René Lalique's crystal tower fountain was a prominent set-piece of the Exposition.
  10. ↑ The Exposition poster, by Robert Bonfils, imitating the look of a woodblock print, featured a modern athletic nymph and a racing gazelle.
  11. ↑ Art Deco Jewelry (1920-1930) Arlecchino Antique Jewelry. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Ghislaine Wood, "Traditional Motifs," in Essential Art Deco (London: Victoria and Albert Museum Publications, 2003), 21.
  13. ↑ F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Jazz Age (New York: New Directions Publishing, 1996, ISBN 0811213331), 3.
  14. ↑ Pamela Gaunt, The Decorative in Twentieth Century Art: A Story of Decline and Resurgence (VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, 2010, ISBN 978-3639223484).
  15. ↑ José Marconi B. de Souza, and Lia Monica, Sertanejo Art Deco: an inspiration for a Brazilian design? 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  16. ↑ Tulsa Art Deco Tulsa Preservation Commission. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  17. ↑ Art Deco Buildings: London examples London Footprints. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  18. ↑ Eltham Palace and Gardens English Heritage. Retrieved March 5, 2021.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Applegate, Judith. Art Deco. New York: Finch College Museum Of Art/Cranbrook Academy of Art, 1970. OCLC 140990
  • Bayer, Patricia. Art Deco Architecture Design, Decoration and Detail from the Twenties and Thirties. London: Thames & Hudson, 1999. ISBN 0500281491.
  • Benton, Charlotte, Tim Benton, and Ghislaine Wood, with Oriana Baddeley, Collaborator. Art Deco: 1910-1939. Boston: Little Brown & Co., 2003. ISBN 9780821228340.
  • Breeze, Carla. American Art Deco: Modernistic Architecture and Regionalism. New York: WW Norton & Co., 2003. ISBN 0500281491.
  • Duncan, Alastair (ed.). Encyclopedia of Art Deco: A Visual Guide to the Influential Design Movement. (original 1988) London: Grange Books, 2005. ISBN 1840138238.
  • Duncan, Alastair. Art Deco Complete. Harry N. Abrams, 2009. ISBN 978-0810980464
  • Fischer, Lucy. Designing Women: Cinema, Art Deco and the Female Form. New York: Columbia University Press, 2003.
  • Gallagher, Fiona. Christie's Art Deco. Watson Guptill Publications, 2002. ISBN 1862055092.
  • Gaunt, Pamela. The Decorative in Twentieth Century Art: A Story of Decline and Resurgence. VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, 2010. ISBN 978-3639223484
  • Hillier, Bevis. Art Deco of the 20s and 30s. Studio Vista/Dutton, 1968. ISBN 0289277884.
  • Hillier, Bevis. The World of Art Deco. New York, E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1971. ISBN 9780525482383.
  • Johnson, Carla. Union Pacific and Omaha Union Station. J. & L. Lee Company, 2000. 978-0934904445
  • Menten, Theodore. The Art Deco Style in Household Objects, Architecture, Sculpture, Graphics, Jewelry. New York: Courier Dover, 1972. ISBN 048622824X
  • Ray, Gordon N. The Art Deco Book In France. The Bibliographical Society of The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 2005. ISBN 1883631122.
  • Savage, Rebecca Binno, and Greg Kowalski. Art Deco in Detroit (Images of America). Arcadia, 2004. ISBN 0738532282.
  • Schwartzman, Arnold. Deco LAndmarks: Art Deco Gems of Los Angeles. Chronicle Books, 1995. ISBN 0811846016.
  • Unes, Wolney. Identidade Art Deco de Goiânia. Ateliê, 2003. ISBN 8574800902.
  • Wood, Ghislaine. "Traditional Motifs", Essential Art Deco. London: Bulfinch, 2003. ISBN 0821228331. (Victoria and Albert Museum Publications, 21.) (Co-curator of the exhibition Art Deco 1910-1939)

External links

All links retrieved August 15, 2023.


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